2018 Manahawkin RAM Optimist New Jersey State Championship

The Surf City YC is pleased to host, once again, the Optimist NJ State Championship. Racing will take place on Monday & Tuesday, August 20-21, with check-in on Sunday, August 19. This is a qualifying event for the 2019 USODA Team Trials. For more information and to register, please go to the USODA website (www.usoda.org)

2018 Manahawkin RAM Optimist New Jersey State Championship

Hosted by Surf City Yacht Club

Notice of Race

August 19-21 (Race Days: August 20-21)

(This Notice of Race may be amended from time to time pursuant to rule 89.2b)

The regatta will be organized by Surf City Yacht Club (SCYC) in conjunction with the U.S. Optimist Dinghy Association (the “USODA”), collectively known as the organizing authority (OA).

1. RULES

The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS).

“USODA Conditions for Sanctioned Regattas and Championships” will apply and can be found at www.usoda.org.

The following applies to RRS 61:

The third sentence of RRS 61.1(a) is deleted.

RRS 61.1(a)(2) shall not apply. The red protest flag shall be attached to the competitor’s clothing or personal flotation device (PFD) and shall be capable of being concealed and being conspicuously displayed at arm’s length.

The following new rule is added:

“61.5 Informing the Race Committee (RC)
In addition to meeting the requirements of RRS 61.1, a boat intending to protest another boat concerning an incident in the racing area that she is involved in or sees shall, at the first reasonable opportunity after she finishes, notify the RC finish vessel of her intent to protest and the sail number of the boat(s) she is protesting.”

Appendix P will apply. The title of RRS P2.2, “Second Penalty”, is changed to “Second and Subsequent Penalties.” At the end of the first sentence, add, “unless her penalty is signaled after she finishes, in which case she shall promptly notify the RC finish vessel that she is retiring.” RRS P2.3 is deleted.

A condition of entry and participation in this regatta is the wearing of a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD, or for international competitors only, a PFD approved by their country’s corresponding national authority, properly secured at all times while on the water, except for brief periods while removing or adding clothing. All PFDs must be suitable for the competitor’s weight. Wet suits, dry suits, and inflatable PFDs are not approved nor permitted as PFDs. Failure to wear a proper PFD will result in a penalty up to an including disqualification at the discretion of the protest committee. These changes are added to RRS 40, and the Preamble to Part 4 will not apply to RRS 40.

2. ADVERTISING

Advertising is restricted per World Sailing Regulation 20.5.1, 20.4 and Table 1.

Boats may be required to display sponsor advertising chosen and supplied by the OA.

3. ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY

International Optimist Dinghies may enter by completing online registration and paying all entry fees and completing the USODA Boat Self-Certification Safety Checklist and Sailor Code of Conduct.

The Red, Blue and White Fleet assignments will be based on the competitor’s age on the first scheduled day of racing, August 20, 2018.

All competitors shall be members of their respective National Class Association (NCA), such as the USODA and have been born on or after January 1, 2003. The OA may require satisfactory proof of such membership and age. Competitors who are not USODA members are invited to join the USODA by selecting membership found in the left margin of www.usoda.org. Members of other IODA organizations and NCAs need to email usoda@usoda.org for login ID and password.

4. REGISTRATION AND ENTRY FEES

All entry fees shall be paid during online registration at www.usoda.org.

The entry fee is U.S. $110 if paid by August 2, 2018.

A late fee of U.S. $25 ($135 total) shall be paid for registrations completed August 3, 2018 through August 9, 2018.

An additional late fee of U.S. $25 ($160 total) shall be paid for registration completed August 10, 2018 through 12:00 PM EDT August 16, 2018.

Registration must be done on-line at www.usoda.org in the Members Only area accessed via login ID and password. Competitors shall have completed all parts of the online registration including completion of the online Waiver and Medical forms in order to be registered for the event. Each competitor shall confirm their registration by checking the entry list on the Event Registration page. If a competitor is not listed on the USODA website, then the competitor is not registered and the late fees described above will apply. Entry Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE and may not be transferred to another USODA event.

Registration will be closed Thursday, August 16, 2018 at 12:00 PM EDT.

Requests to register after the online registration is closed are subject to approval by the OA.

5. FORMAT OF THE REGATTA

There will be two fleets; the Gold Fleet for more experienced sailors and Silver Fleet for less experienced sailors. The Silver Fleet will have a 15-knot sustained wind-speed limit. There will not be a Green Fleet.

The Gold Fleet will race as one or more divisions depending on the number of entries. If there are multiple divisions, the Gold Fleet will race in “Sets of races. The process for allocating boats to divisions and the format will be specified in the SI.

6. SCHEDULE

Each Sailor shall be present at Check-In. The USODA Boat Self-Certification Safety Checklist and Sailor Code of Conduct are required to complete Check-In.

Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided to competitors on each scheduled race day.

0700-0800 Continental Breakfast
0800 Coaches’ Meeting
0815 Harbor Start
0930 First Warning Signal
Lunch on the water
1500 No First Warning Signal for a race or “Set” of races after this time
After Racing Awards ceremony

Six (6) “Sets” of races are scheduled for the Gold Fleet if they sail as a multi-division regatta. Eight (8) races are scheduled for the Gold Fleet if they sail as a single division regatta. The Silver Fleet will sail as many races as practicable.

7. MEASUREMENT

Competitors are allowed to use only one hull, dagger board, rudder (with tiller and extension), mast, boom, sprit and sail during the regatta. Substitution of such equipment shall occur only with the written or verbal approval of the Principal Race Officer (PRO).

The race and/or protest committee reserves the right to inspect or measure equipment and/or sails at any time regardless of whether it has been previously measured.

8. SAILING INSTRUCTIONS (SI)

The SI will be available on the USODA website. Paper (hardcopies) will not be distributed to each competitor onsite. A copy of the SI will be posted on the official notice board.

9. VENUE AND BERTHING

The racing area will be on Manahawkin Bay.

All Optimist boats shall be kept in the assigned area located at the SCYC.

10. THE COURSE

The Gold Fleet and Silver Fleet will sail in the same race area on the same course. The course will be included in the SI.

11. PENALTY SYSTEM

The USODA Graded Penalty System (GPS) will apply. The GPS will be defined in the SI.

12. SCORING

The Low Point Scoring System of RRS Appendix A will apply.

The number of boats entered in the series will be defined as the number of registered boats which subsequently completed competitor Check-In at the regatta venue as referenced in NOR 6.1. This change is added as the first sentence to RRS A2 and A4.2 and applies to fleet divisions.

One completed race shall constitute the regatta for a single division regatta. One completed “Set” of races shall constitute the regatta for a multi-division regatta.

Scoring will be based on the number of races for a single division regatta. Scoring will be based on the number of “Sets” of races completed for a multi-division regatta. The process for removing a worst score will be specified in the SI.

For a multi-division regatta, race scores are based on the combined number of registered boats in the two largest divisions. This changes RRS 44.3(c), and A4.2.

13. SAFETY

Each competitor shall submit a completed USODA Boat Self-Certification Safety Checklist during the regatta site Check-In. This checklist shall inform the RC that all equipment is present and in working order.

Boats may be subject to a safety inspection at any time during the regatta.

Each competitor shall have a whistle attached to their PFD at all times while on the water.

Each boat shall have a secure loop in the end of the painter.

14. ADULT RESPONSIBILITY

In addition to the requirements of RRS 4, an adult (parent, guardian or designated adult) is responsible for the safety of their sailor. It is the responsibility of this adult to decide if the sailor should sail in the weather and sea conditions that might arise during the event. The adults supervising the competitors are ultimately responsible for the risks.

Parents not personally attending any part of the event shall ensure that another adult is authorized and designated to make these decisions for their sailor.

Each competitor shall indicate in writing at Check-In the parent or adult representative that will be responsible for the competitor throughout the event.

The designated adult shall accept full responsibility for all actions of the competitor during any activity related to the event. This includes on-shore activities before, during, and after the regatta.

15. SUPPORT (COACH OR SPECTATOR) VESSELS

The OA strongly recommends that each sailor have a support (coach or spectator) vessel on the race course throughout the regatta.

One coach vessel for every seven (7) sailors and fraction thereof from a sailing program may be registered. (For example, a program with eight (8) sailors would be allowed to register two coach vessels.) Requests for an additional coach vessel shall be emailed to usoda@usoda.org by August 16, 2018 and are subject to USODA Regatta Committee approval.

All support vessels shall register during Check-In hours (see NOR 6.3) and promptly display a numbered flag supplied by the OA while on the water. A $20 security deposit will be required which will be returned at the end of the event with the return of the flag.

Each support vessel shall have a working VHF radio and monitor the radio, an anchor suitable for anchoring in the waiting area, and a basic first aid kit.

The conduct of coaches, parents serving on race committee (including safety patrol), registered support vessels, and all other vessels will be governed by the SI and RRS.

Additional awards and prizes may be presented at the sole discretion of the OA and may be based on
criteria other than the regatta.

17. QUALIFICATION FOR FUTURE EVENTS

This regatta is a 2019 USODA Team Trials Qualifying event. The top 25% of Gold Fleet team trials eligible competitors, as defined by the USODA, including ties, based on the final results using the total number of boats registered in both the Gold Fleet and Silver Fleets, may receive invitations to compete in the 2019 Optimist Team Trials.

18. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See RRS 4, Decision to Race.

The OA including the sponsors, the race committee, officers, and board of directors of the SCYC and USODA, and all those involved in these organizations will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta. An online waiver shall be signed by all competitors and their parent/guardian, in accordance with NOR 4.2.

19. CLEAN/GREEN REGATTA

The SCYC will be seeking certification from “Sailors for the Sea” as a “green” regatta. An example of some of the Best Practices to be implemented include the minimization or elimination of single use water bottles and printed regatta documents. SCYC will provide refillable containers for a nominal fee and encourage competitors and coaches/spectators to bring reusable bottles for the regatta.